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Police arrest LGA revenue collectors for death of hairdresser

Two revenue collectors from the Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State have been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command for their alleged involvement in the killing of a hairdresser , Mrs. Toyin Ijiyemi, in the Oke Aro area of the state .

It was gathered that the suspects were hired by the Caretaker Chairman, Mrs. Margret Atere , a few months ago to generate revenue for the council..

PUNCH Metro learnt that on the day of the incident, the tax collectors met the 38 -year - old hairdresser in her salon and demanded levy for the television in her shop .

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that for failing to pay the levy, the council officials decided to take her television away but she prevented them .

He said , “As they were dragging the television with her , the woman fell down. The revenue collectors abandoned the hairdresser on the floor and went away with the television . ”

It was gathered that a few minutes after the drama, a neighbour went into the woman’ s shop and saw her on the floor .

She reportedly called other neighbours , who rushed to the scene to revive Ijiyemi. She was later confirmed dead .

Her remains were deposited in the morgue of the Ondo State Specialists ’ Hospital Akure .
The only child of the deceased , Mr . Ayodele Adelanke, and her aged mother , Mrs. Ajike Ijiyemi, appealed to the state government and the police to bring the killers of the hairdresser to book .

All efforts to reach the Akure South LGA Chairman, Atere , was unsuccessful as her telephone line was switched off at the time of filling the report, while text messages sent to her phone were not delivered .

However, a senior official in the local government, who did not want her name in print , confirmed that the suspects were the loyalists of the chairman hired to collect revenue for the council.

She said, “The suspects were hired by the chairman to collect revenue for the council, but she did not send them to kill anybody . The police had invited her ( chairman) over the matter . ”

The state Police Public Relations Officer , Mr. Femi Joseph , confirmed the arrested while speaking with our correspondent on Monday , but failed to give the name of the suspects .
He said, “We have arrested the two suspects and they are in our custody ; we are still looking for some others . We don’ t want to speak much about it , but everybody should rest assure that none of the culprits will be shielded ; nobody is above the law . We are working to arrest other suspects . ”